#edmund duke of somerset

[blueberry-bubbles130]

We are back for another historical hypothetical folks!

And this time it is:

Think of it as a Midsomer Murders/Clue style thing.

I don’t have an answer for who the victim is. You can choose anyone you want, for the victim.

[historicconfessions]

[stonelord1]

Sir John Wenlock's Castle of Someries

  Sir John Wenlock was a known side-swapper during the Wars of the Roses. Although not as infamous as Thomas Stanley, Wenlock also frequently changed allegiances, starting out as a Lancastrian, then becoming a Yorkist, then a Warwick supporter and then back to being a Lancastrian again. He fought for the House of Lancaster at Tewkesbury and was killed in the field, some say by his own commander,…

[une-sanz-pluis]

Thus, from the sixteenth century onwards, Katherine’s remarriage was commonly attributed to her lust and heedlessness, rendering her illustrative of traditional female failings. However, if we remove the element of moralistic disapprobation, it is possible to read the evidence for Katherine’s involvement with Edmund Beaufort and marriage to Owen Tudor differently. Rather than regarding her relationships as proof of her inability to control herself, these may instead disclose the difficulties of her situation as a young dowager queen, and even her strategies for navigating these.

Katherine J. Lewis, "Katherine of Valois: The Vicissitudes of Reputation", Later Plantagenet and the Wars of the Roses Consorts: Power, Influence, and Dynasty (eds. J. L. Laynesmith and Elena Woodacre, Palgrave 2023)

[snapheart1536]

In August 1525 the king granted him the honours, castles, rents and other hereditaments which belonged to the king's paternal grandparents, Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond, and Margaret Beaufort, as well as those that had previously belonged to Margaret Beaufort's father, John Beaufort, Duke of Somerset. In addition to this, the boy received a number of fine properties, including his great-grandmother's favourite residence of Collyweston.

Bessie Blount – Mistress to Henry VIII, Elizabeth Norton

[actualshonenprotagonist]

Rough date timeline of Henry VI part 1 because that's how my day is going so far:

ACT 1

Scene 1: Henry V's funeral, which we know happened November 7, 1422.

Scene 2: The introduction of Joan la Pucelle, which historically happened in 1428. Six years have passed.

Scene 3: Gloster gets barred from the Tower of London, and he and Winchester are so at each other that somebody calls the cops. I can't find evidence of this being a real incident.

Scenes 4-6: Seige of Orleans, 1428-29. The French artillery's aim is getting better and Salisbury is killed. The English find out about Joan la Pucelle, who is on her way to lift the seige. Talbot is said to have been recently exchanged for a French prisoner, but this does not make sense.

ACT 2

Scenes 1-3: The English attack Orleans again to avenge Salisbury. Talbot meets/is taken prisoner by the Countess of Aubergne. (He was a French prisoner from 1429-33, but this isn't how he was taken.) Presumably this is why the French are able to break the seige.

Scene 4: Rose-picking in the garden scene. Did not happen, but I would put it in the summer of 1429, making Richard Duke of York not quite 18.

Scene 5: Edmund Mortimer shows up, explains some family history, and then dies. This didn't happen but that is a separate post entirely.

ACT 3

Scene 1: Fighting breaks out in Parliament courtesy of Gloster and Winchester. Henry VI has speaking lines for the first time, implying that it is at least November 1429, and he is about 8. Gloster suggests that Henry VI be crowned in France.

Scene 2: Bedford dies of illness while the French unsuccessfully attack Rouen. This would make it 1435, except Henry VI has recently arrived in France to be crowned, so it is probably 1430.

Scene 3: The French plot revenge for Rouen and Burgundy switches sides. It is now simultaneously 1435.

Scene 4: The English are in Paris, Talbot is made Earl of Shrewsbury (1442).

ACT 4

Scene 1: Henry VI is crowned in Paris (1431). He tries to "both sides" Somerset and York while putting on a red rose badge, but he's only 10 so let's give him some slack.

Scenes 2-4: Talbot and his son are killed fighting near Bordeaux while Somerset and York argue about whether or not to send reinforcements from elsewhere in Gascony. This historically happened in 1453, when Somerset and York were back in England.

ACT 5

Scene 1: Henry VI and Gloster discuss marriage to a daughter of the earl of Armagnac, so it's about 1442. Henry thinks he's too young (21?), but sends a gift to anyway.

Scenes 2-3: York captures Joan la Pucelle. Suffolk becomes soggily besotted with Margaret d'Anjou and negotiates her marriage to Henry VI. None of this happened, but Margaret's marriage negotiations began around 1444.

Scene 4: Speedrun of Joan la Pucelle's trial, 1431. Charles agrees to be Henry's subject if the English leave, which did not happen.

Scene 5: Suffolk and Winchester successfully argue for Margaret d'Anjou as Henry VI's bride, ending the play in 1444.

[racefortheironthrone]

Wasn't there also a bit of a culling by the House of York of other Lancastrian claimants such as the Marquess of Dorset and the Duke of Somerset's beheadings in 1471 or the Duke of Exeter's drowning in the English Channel in 1475 and the Duke of Buckingham's beheading in 1483? Maybe some others? Those deaths were another boosting up for Henry VIII pre-Bosworth Field?

The deaths of John and Edmund Beaufort don't fit: John was killed during the fighting at Tewksbury and Edmund two days later because they had fought for Henry VI as the Lancastrian King of England and while they were both of the House of Lancaster, they were certainly behind Henry and his son Edward of Westminster in the line of succession and were not claimants to the throne at the time of their death.

Whether Exeter was actually assassinated or just fell overboard is a matter of rumor, but again he wasn't a claimant and if he was killed it was probably because he had fought for Lancaster even after marrying Anne of York, which Edward would porbably have considered a betrayal. Buckingham wasn't a claimant either; his rebellion was on behalf of Henry Tudor.

[alternatehistoryworlds]

AU House of Tudors: Children Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon.

Catherine of Aragon(1485 - 1543).In 1501 Catherine of Aragon became the wife of Prince Arthur, but he died half a year later. In 1509 she married Henry VIII. Their married life was happy despite the fact that Catherine was 6 years older than Henry. She also often took an active part in the affairs of state. The marriage produced 6 children. The death of Prince William undermined Catherine's health and because of this she began to have frequent heart aches. She died in 1543 of heart disease.

Elizabeth(1510 - 1582). Queen of Spain and Empress of the Holy Roman Empire. Wife of Charles V. The marriage of Elizabeth and Charles was happy. They had 5 children: Joana, Henry V, Catherine, Inigo and Alexandra. She outlived not only her husband but also her sons. In 1560, her eldest son died of illness, and her youngest died while still a child. And in the same year she became regent of Spain under her one-year-old granddaughter Isabella. Her regency was characterized by an era of prosperity and tranquility. Elizabeth, who was well educated, patronized the arts and sciences. Her court was visited by prominent humanists. Elizabeth had a rich library and could play several musical instruments. She loved to write and read books. 3 years before her death, she handed over the rule of the country into the hands of Isabella, and herself withdrew from public affairs and devoted herself to rest and reading.

Henry IX(1511 - 1581). King of England. Husband of 1)Renée of France and 2)Magdalene of Austria. In 1527 he married Louis XII's daughter Renée. Their married life was happy. But in 1542 she was gone. Renée died in childbirth while giving birth to her 8th child. Henry was inconsolable he fell into depression and 3 years mourned his wife. He did not marry a second time until 10 years after her death. During his reign, England became a strong sea power, and the economy grew 2-fold. Under Henry IX, peace and prosperity reigned in the kingdom. In addition, the king paid great attention to the cultural enlightenment of his state.

He became the father of 12 children: Henry X, Edward, Catherine, Anne, William, Jasper, Mary and Margaret - children from his first marriage.

Magdalen, Ferdinand, Arthur and George from his second.

William(1513 - 1536). Duke of York. Husband of Catherine Parr and father of 2 children: Maud and William. William and Catherine's married life was happy, but not long. Henry VIII was against this marriage, as he looked for another bride. But after much persuasion of his wife and son agreed. Soon Catherine and William learned that they would soon become parents. In April 1536, he fell ill with smallpox and died within days, and in May he became the father of a daughter and a son. After her husband's death, Catherine did not marry again. There were many suitors for her hand, but she refused them and said that her heart belonged only to one William.

Edmund(1514 - 1588). Duke of Somerset. Husband of Dorothea of Denmark, father of 6 children: William, Catherine, Henry, Mark, Isabella and Christian. Edmund was not in love with his wife. The first years of their marriage the couple lived amicably and were attached to each other, and when misunderstandings began between them, they were of a financial nature. The duke did not like the excessive spending of his wife. Because of frequent quarrels, they began to distance themselves from each other. And after the birth of the last child Edmund finally turned away from his wife. Edmund, like his older sister, was a patron of culture and art.

Mary(1516 - 1570). Queen of Scots. Wife of James V. She was the favorite daughter of Henry VIII. At first the Scots did not want to recognize Mary as their queen, but later she quickly won the trust of the people. She also enjoyed the trust of her husband, who often left her as regent during his absence. The spouses were an example of family life, the king was never seen for public adultery. The marriage produced 5 children: Margaret, James VI, David, Robert and Catherine.

Isabella(1518 - 1585). Queen of Poland. Wife of Sigismund II and mother of 8 children: Bona, Sigismund III, Casimir, Jadwiga, Wladyslaw, Jagailo, Catherine and Stanislaw. Isabella was famous for her beauty, distinguished by her intelligence and great energy. But there was no happiness in her life. Isabella's marriage was not a happy one. The queen unrequitedly loved her husband, but the king preferred to lead a dissolute lifestyle. The king's mother feared that Isabella would influence her son and turned Sigismund against her. The king and queen had 8 children, but only one boy survived. Isabella tried to exert political influence on her son, but her attempts were unsuccessful. Because of her disagreement with her son, she returned to her homeland.

AU Дом Тюдоров:Дети Генриха VIII и Екатерины Арагонской.

Екатерина Арагонская(1485 - 1543). В 1501 году Екатерина Арагонская стала женой принца Артура, но через пол года он умер. В 1509 она вышла замуж за Генриха VIII. Их супружеская жизнь была счастливой несмотря на то, что Екатерина была старше Генриха на 6 лет. Также она часто принимала активное участие в делах государства. В браке родилось 6 детей. Смерть принца Уильяма подкосило здоровье Екатерины и из-за этого у неё стало часто болеть сердце. Умерла в 1543 году от сердечной болезни.

Елизавета(1510 - 1582). Королева Испании и императрица Священной Римской империи. Жена Карла V. Брак Елизаветы и Карла был счастливым. У них родилось 5 детей: Хуана, Энрике V, Екатерина, Иниго и Алехандра. Пережила не только мужа, но и своих сыновей. В 1560 году от болезни умер ее старший сын, а младший умер ещё в детстве. И в этом же году она стала регентом Испании при своей годовалой внучке Изабелле. Её регенство характерезуится эпохой процветания и спокойствия. Елизавета, получившая хорошее образование покровительствовала искусствам и наукам. Её двор посещали выдающиеся гуманисты. У Елизаветы была богатая библиотека, а также она умела играть на нескольких музыкальных инструментах. Любила писать и читать книги. За 3 года до своей смерти вручила правление страной в руки Изабелле, а сама отошла от государственных дел и посвятила себя отдыху и чтению.

Генрих IX(1511 - 1578). Король Англии. Муж 1)Рене Французской и 2)Магдалины Австрийской. В 1527 году женился на дочери Людовика XII Рене. Их супружеская жизнь была счастливой. Но 1542 году её не стало. Рене умерла при родах, рожая 8 ребёнка. Генрих был безутешен он впал в депрессию и 3 года оплакивал жену. Женился во второй раз только через 10 лет после её смерти. В период его правления Англия стала сильной морской державой, а также в 2 раза увеличился рост экономики. При Генрихе IX в королевстве царил мир и процветание. Кроме этого, король уделял большое внимание культурному просвещению своего государства.

Стал отцом 12 детей: Генрих X, Эдуард, Екатерина, Анна, Уильям, Джаспер, Мария и Маргарита - дети от первого брака.

Магдалена, Фердинанд, Артур и Джордж - от второго.

Уильям(1513 - 1536). Герцог Йоркский. Муж Екатерины Парр и отец 2 детей: Мод и Уильям. Супружеская жизнь Уильяма и Екатерины был счастливой, но не долгой. Генрих VIII был против этого брака, так как подыскал ему другую невесту. Но после долгих уговоров жены и сына согласился. Вскоре Екатерина и Уильям узнали, что скоро станут родителями. В апреле 1536 года он заболел оспой и умер в течение нескольких дней, а в мае стал отцом дочери и сына. После смерти мужа Екатерина больше замуж не вышла. Было много претендентов на её руку, но она им отказывала и говорила, что её сердце принадлежит лишь одному Уияльму.

Эдмунд(1514 - 1588). Герцог Сомерсет. Муж Доротеи Датской, отец 6 детей: Уильям, Екатерина, Генрих, Марк, Изабелла и Кристиан. Эдмунд не был влюблен в свою жену. Первые годы брака супруги жили дружно и были привязаны друг к другу, а когда между ними начались недоразумения, то они носили финансовый характер. Герцогу не нравились чрезмерные расходы жены. Из-за частых ссор они стали отдаляться друг от друга. А после рождения последнего ребёнка Эдмунд окончательно отвернулся от жены. Эдмунд, как и его старшая сестра был покровителем культуры и искусства.

Мария(1516 - 1570). Королева Шотландии. Жена Якова V. Была любимой дочерью Генриха VIII. Поначалу шотландцы не хотели признавать Марию своей королевой, но позже она быстро завоевала доверие народа. Также она пользовалась доверием своего мужа, который часто оставлял её регентом на время своего отсутствия. Супруги были примером семейной жизни, король ни разу не был замечен за публичным изменами. В браке родилось 5 детей: Маргарита, Яков VI, Давид, Роберт и Екатерина.

Изабелла(1518 - 1585). Королева Польши. Жена Сигизмунда II и мать 8 детей: Бона, Сигизмунд III, Казимир, Ядвига, Владислав, Ягайло, Екатерина и Станислав. Изабелла славилась своей красотой, отличалась умом и большой энергией. Но счастья в её жизни не было. Брак Изабеллы был не счастливым. Королева безответно любила своего мужа, но король предпочитал вести разгульный образ жизни. Мать короля опасалась того, что Изабелла будет оказывать влияние на сына и настраивала Сигизмунда против неё. У короля и королевы было 8 детей, но выжил лишь один мальчик. Изабелла пыталась оказывать политическое влияние на своего сына, но её попытки остались без успешны. Из за разногласий с сыном она вернулась на Родину.

[edwardslovelyelizabeth]

Who are the people attending Elizabeth Woodville's funeral?Are they all her relatives?

Hi! Yes, her three daughters - Anne, Katherine and Bridget as well as her only son Thomas Grey with his wife and their daughter (Elizabeth’s granddaughter), her nieces and nephews, Cecily’s husband - Elizabeth’s son-in-law, Edward IV’s closest male relative Edmund de la Pole.

Mourners were soon arriving, however, three of her unmarried daughters arrived on Tuesday 12 June, Princesses Anne (born 1475), Katherine (born 1479), and Bridget (born 1480) and her daughter-in—law, Cecily Bonville, the wife of her eldest son and marchioness of Dorset. With them was an unmarried niece, Elizabeth, the daughter of Katherine Woodville, sister to the dead queen and dowager duchess of Buckingham, a grand-daughter, one of the daughters of her son the marquess of Dorset and yet another niece, Elizabeth, Lady Herbert in her own right as the only child of William Herbert, Lord Herbert and Earl of Huntingdon and Pembroke; and his first wife, Mary, another sister of the dead queen — the herald-narrator is apparently not aware that the sixteen year-old heiress had just been married in the king's presence on 2 June to his favourite, Sir Charles Somerset. There also arrived Lady Egremont, Dame Katherine Grey, and Dame Guildford, either the wife of Sir John Guildford or his son, Sir Richard, a family closely linked to the Woodvilles and Hautes. Part of the narrative seems to be missing at this point; it probably reported that these ladies knelt around the hearse according to their rank, while Dirige was sung. On Wednesday 13 June a mass of requiem was held while the three daughters knelt at ‘the hed’, their gentlewomen behind them. That same morning arrived Thomas, Marquess Dorset, the queen’s son, and Edmund de La Pole, son of the duke of Suffolk, the closest living male relative of Edward IV, Henry Bourchier, Earl of Essex, a nephew of the dead queen by her sister, Anne, John, Viscount Welles, who had married Cecily, the second surviving daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, Sir Charles Somerset; the brand-new husband of Elizabeth, Lady Herbert and, last of the seculars, Sir Roger Cotton, Edward Haute, her second cousin through their common grandfather, Richard Woodville, Master Edmund Chaderton also came, once treasurer of Richard III and now chancellor to Queen Elizabeth of York.

from “The Royal Burials of the House of York at Windsor: II. Princess Mary, May 1482, and QueenElizabeth Woodville, June 1492.” by Anne Sutton and Livia Visser-Fuchs

[blackboar]

What if Elizabeth of henry vii and York don't have a son back? Furthermore, what if they don't have children? (Maybe Henry would like the legitimate illegitimate son of the third Duke of Somerset to marry Cecily of York and make him the heir ...)

If he doesn't have kids then it's a disaster to the extent that Henry VII might not survive his reign or might attempt a divorce with Elizabeth of York (or maybe even the reverse). Richard III could have survived Bosworth is his son was alive.

I really don't think he would have promoted Somerset because a bastard of a bastard line don't stand much chance. I think that plan B was shown quite early by Henry VII: he married his uncle to Cecily of York, so I think he would have pushed them or their descent to the throne. The problem is they had none. So after that, speculating that Henry VII is still alive, I think he would have two main choices which are:

Edward Stafford, duke of Buckingham. Pros: rich and a HUGE landowner; prestigious from an ancient line who descent from Edward III through two lines; very connected in the peerage (Percies, Woodvilles, etc...).

The Courtenays because the Earl's son is the only other one who had children with a daughter of Edward IV. Less powerful, less connected but they are still important and they have the Yorkist connection that Edward Stafford lack.

What would Henry VII do? I do not know. It's quite possible he would act like his grandaughter Elizabeth: not chose, and play each faction against the other. So his choice of successor would depend on events. What does Stafford and Courtenay do? On our history, the Courtenays did plot against Henry VII with Edmund de la Pole. Maybe they would openly rebel or, on the contrary, be very loyal to hope Henry VII would name them. The same goes for the de la Poles.

So, we have no idea. Also, what Henry VII decided didn't matter that much after he die. His predecessor and successor made successoral arrangement that weren't respected by political actors.

[blueberry-bubbles130]

Alright everyone here’s a very stupid question!

Also yes. I have personally read fanfiction about every single one of these figures listed in the poll.

[richmond-rex]

Regarding Bridget of York: if her career as a nun was planned from the beginning, wouldn't the decision lie with Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV as her parents and as the king and queen? I'm not saying it's impossible for Cecily to have suggested it, it's conceivable, but wouldn't the more likely and more default option be her parents? Especially since both of them were also devoted to St. Bridget and Elizabeth Woodville was also very pious. And, like you said, Bridget was the fifth surviving daughter, I think there were practical reasons for them to not use her for a marriage alliance. I think it's just a bit of a stretch to assume that Bridget's potential church career was Cecily's plan, I don't think Cecily probably naming her due to her piety should be taken to mean that she was the one who was planning her life path? Imo, that's a bit of a leap. Unless there's evidence for the contrary, I think the standard expectation should be that, if there was a church career in mind, it was planned ny Bridget's parents. Especially since Cecily doesn't seem to have really been involved in the lives and upbringing of any of her grandchildren by Edward, from what I can tell.

Hi! Referring to this post. I think I did not make myself clear: I used Cecily Neville's connections to St Bridget and her special relationship with her granddaughters who took the veil to make a point about the importance of St Bridget in the Yorkist family as a whole. Clearly, Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville would have had their input on Bridget's future, as I mentioned Elizabeth Woodville's devotion to St Bridget and Edward IV's use of one of her prophecies. When I highlighted Cecily's position, I meant it more like the time Margaret Beaufort stood as godmother to her grandson Prince Edmund, the once future Duke of Somerset (a title Margaret's father held); compared to the other Tudor children, she seems to have been particularly involved in his birth and it's not inconceivable she was the one who suggested his name. Still, of course Henry VII and Elizabeth of York would have had a say in his name and future too. Families were much less nuclear/centred solely on the parents in the middle ages. What I was trying to highlight was a shared thinking that probably influenced Bridget's position in life.

[stonelord1]

Scandal in Salisbury

Recently I had a rare opportunity to visit Church House in Salisbury. Used for administration of the diocese today, it is an attractive medieval/post-medieval building retaining many original features, and has an interesting but sometimes rather murky past. Originally it was built in the 15th century by a merchant called William Lightfoot, and was known in that era as The Falcon. However, later…

[une-sanz-pluis]

Another possibility is that the 1426 petition addressing Bishop Beaufort actually originated not with Katherine, but with the Bishop himself. It is crucial here to highlight the intense political rivalry between the Bishop and his nephew Gloucester, who frequently clashed over the direction of royal policy. It is entirely possible that a potential marriage between Katherine and Edmund was an aspect of this conflict. If Edmund were to marry Katherine and become Henry’s stepfather, it would considerably strengthen Bishop Beaufort’s position. The Bishop had recently played a decisive role in arranging the marriage of his niece Joan to another royal spouse, King James I of Scotland, which took place in 1424. The identity of the groom and the involvement of the Bishop may also account for Gloucester’s opposition to the match. Perhaps he was not averse to Katherine marrying per se, but he certainly would not want her to marry a Beaufort. [...] Certainly, the statute focuses on the agency of the man who would aspire to: “make contract of betrothal or matrimony to marry himself to the queen of England,” and the punishment is his alone. The queen is passive, except insofar as her honour, and that of other royal women, is being championed and safeguarded from depredation. The chronicler’s report that Katherine wished to marry Edmund does not necessarily convey Katherine’s own wishes. Perhaps the projected marriage was not her inclination at all, but something into which Bishop Beaufort was attempting to manoeuvre her. Rather than telling us about Katherine’s appetite for sex, it may tell us that she was in a politically vulnerable position.

Katherine J. Lewis, "Katherine of Valois: The Vicissitudes of Reputation", Later Plantagenet and the Wars of the Roses Consorts: Power, Influence, and Dynasty (eds. J. L. Laynesmith and Elena Woodacre, Palgrave 2023)

[artistrichardhfay]

Article "Edward IV"

The fifteenth century English civil war that became known as the "Wars of the Roses" arose out of tension between the rival houses of Lancaster and York. Both dynasties could trace their ancestry back to Edward III. Both vied for influence at the court of the Lancastrian King Henry VI. The growing enmity that existed between these two noble lineages eventually led to a pattern of political manoeuvring, backstabbing, and bloodshed that culminated in a contest for the crown and Edward of York’s seizure of the throne to become Edward IV, first Yorkist King of England.

Born at Rouen on April 28, 1442, Edward was the eldest son of Richard, Duke of York, and Cecily Neville, "The Rose of Raby". Dubbed “The Rose of Rouen” due to his fair features and place of birth, Edward sported golden hair and an athletic physique. Growing to over six feet tall, the young Earl of March developed into the conventional medieval image of a military leader, ever ready to enter the fray. Intelligent and literate, Edward could read, write, and speak English, French, and a bit of Latin. He enjoyed certain chivalric romances and histories as well as the more physical aristocratic pursuits of hunting, hawking, jousting, feasting, and wenching. Edward proved time and again to be a valiant warrior and competent commander, personally brave and at the same time capable of understanding the finer points of strategy and tactics. As king, he displayed a direct straightforwardness and lacked much of the devious cunning exhibited by some of his contemporaries.

Young Edward of March became embroiled in the dynastic struggle between the Houses of Lancaster and York while still a teen. The family feud erupted into violence for the first time on May 22, 1455, when Yorkist forces under command of the Duke of York and the Earl of Warwick, and Lancastrian forces under command of the Duke of Somerset and King Henry, came to blows on the streets of St. Albans. After a disastrous debacle at Ludford Bridge on October 12, 1459, the Yorkist leaders fled for Calais and Ireland. Edward, Earl of March, was among those declared guilty of high treason by an Act of Attainder passed by Parliament on November 20.

In the summer of 1460, the Earl of March sailed from Calais to Sandwich with the Earls of Salisbury and Warwick and two-thousand men-at-arms. During Edward’s first proper taste of battle at Northampton in July of that year, he and the Duke of Norfolk co-commanded the vanguard that eventually breached the Lancastrian field fortifications, thanks in part to the traitorous actions of the Lancastrian turncoat Lord Grey of Ruthyn. After the Yorkist victory at Northampton, Edward’s father returned to England and made clear his desire to become king, but the assembled lords failed to support his claim.

With the contest between Lancaster and York still undecided, Edward was given his first independent command. He was sent to Wales to quell an uprising led by Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke, while his father marched out of London to tackle the northern allies of Henry VI’s Queen Margaret of Anjou. Drawn out of Sandal Castle by the appearance of a Lancastrian army, Richard of York fell in battle outside its walls on December 30, 1460. His severed head, along with those of his younger son Edmund, the Earl of Rutland, and Richard Neville, the Earl of Salisbury, soon adorned spikes atop the city of York’s Micklegate Bar. A paper crown placed on his bloody pate mocked the Duke’s failed bid for the throne. On the site of his father's death, Edward later erected a simple memorial consisting of a cross enclosed by a picket fence.

Now Duke of York, Edward gathered an army in the Welsh marches to avenge the deaths of his father and younger brother. Having spent his boyhood in Sir Richard Croft’s castle near Wigmore, Edward was well known in the region. He made ready to march toward London to support the Earl of Warwick, but then turned north to face an enemy force led by the Earls of Pembroke and Wiltshire. A strange sight greeted the anxious Yorkist troops at Mortimer's Cross that frosty dawn of February 2, 1461. Three rising suns shone in the morning sky. Quick to declare this meteorological phenomenon a positive omen, Edward announced that the Holy Trinity was watching over his army. After his victory at Mortimer’s Cross, Edward added the sunburst to his banner and badge. To make clear that the conflict had entered a more savage phase, Edward ordered the execution of Owen Tudor and nine other captured Lancastrian nobles. Tudor’s severed head went on display on the market cross at Hereford, where a mad woman combed his hair, washed his bloody face, and lit candles around the grisly memorial.

On February 17, the Earl of Warwick suffered his first defeat at the second battle St. Albans, brought about in part by treachery within his ranks. However, London refused to open its gates to Queen Margaret’s looting Lancastrian army, a force the citizens of the capital feared was full of northern savages. Reunited with King Henry, but frustrated by London’s mistrustful citizenry, the queen withdrew her forces toward York. Warwick and what troops he had left then met up with the victorious Edward at either Chipping Norton or Burford on February 22.

Greeted by cheers, Edward and the Earl of Warwick, marched into the capital on February 26. Warwick’s brother, the Chancellor George Neville, asked the people who they wished to be King of England and France. They answered with shouts for Edward. On March 4, 1461, the Duke of York rode from Baynard’s Castle to Westminster, where the Yorkist peers and commons and merchants of London formally proclaimed him King Edward IV.

The new Yorkist king’s official coronation was postponed while he prepared to set out in pursuit of Margaret and Henry. After sending Lord Fauconberg northward at the head of the king’s footmen on the 11th, Edward marched out of the capital on the 13th. He issued orders prohibiting his army from committing robbery, sacrilege, and rape upon penalty of death. He followed the trail of pillaged towns and razed homesteads left behind by Margaret’s northern moss-troopers.

On March 22, Edward received word that his enemies had taken up position behind the River Aire. On March 28, his vanguard tangled with a Lancastrian force holding the wooden span at Ferrybridge. Outflanking the defenders by sending a part of his army across the Aire at Castleford, Edward managed to push his men across the bridge and up the Towton road.

The two armies drew up in battle order on a snowy Palm Sunday, March 29, 1461. At some point during the morning the snow shifted, blowing into the faces of the Lancastrian soldiers. Taking advantage of the favourable wind, Fauconberg ordered his archers forward. The ensuing volley initiated the biggest, bloodiest, and most decisive battle of the Wars of the Roses.

Edward displayed steadfast courage as the battle raged. The young king rode up and down the line and joined in the melee whenever the ranks appeared ready to waver. No quarter was given, for both sides wished to settle the issue once-and-for-all, and the dead piled up between the opposing men-at-arms. At times, the fighting momentarily ceased while the bodies of the slain were pulled aside to make room for continued bloodshed.

After several hours of fierce fighting, the Yorkist line began to give way. However, the arrival of the Duke of Norfolk’s reinforcements tipped the balance in the Yorkist favour, and the exhausted Lancastrian army eventually faltered and broke. Many fleeing soldiers were cut down by Yorkist prickers in an area now known as Bloody Meadow. As was allegedly his habit when victorious, Edward may have given orders to spare the commons but slay the lords. Those Lancastrian nobles that survived the slaughter, along with King Henry, Queen Margaret, and their son Prince Edward, sought sanctuary in Scotland.

Victory at Towton established the Yorkist dynasty, but over the next three years Edward’s rule still faced a series of Lancastrian-inspired rebellions. Many of these uprisings against the Yorkist crown centred on Lancastrian strongholds in Northumberland. Most of Queen Margaret’s moves in the years immediately following the battle revolved around control of various castles, with some rather dubious aid from the Scots. In 1463, Margaret was finally forced to flee to France when Warwick and his brother routed her Scottish allies at Norham. Left behind by his queen, Henry VI held state in the gloomy fortress at Bamburgh. Warwick besieged this stronghold during the summer of 1464, and it became the first English castle to succumb to cannon fire. Captured in Clitherwood twelve months later and abandoned by his queen and allies, the Lancastrian king was sent to the Tower of London. Edward's throne finally seemed secure. However, Edward next faced threat from an unexpected corner as Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, turned on the man he helped make king.

In 1464, Edward secretly married Elizabeth Woodville, a comparatively lowborn Lancastrian widow. This caused a rift to form between the king and the Earl of Warwick. Edward's in-laws began to exert a growing influence over his court. Displeased with his own waning influence, in 1469 Warwick orchestrated a rebellion in the north. Edward remained in Nottingham while his Herbert and Woodville allies suffered defeat at Edgecote on July 26, 1469. The king then fell under Warwick's protection. On March 12, 1470, Edward was able to rout the rebels at the battle of Losecote Field, a moniker that arose from the fact that many men fleeing the battle discarded their livery jackets displaying the incriminating badges of Warwick and Edward's treacherous brother, the Duke of Clarence. With their treachery made plain, Warwick and Clarence sailed to France and formed an unlikely alliance with Margaret of Anjou. When Warwick returned to England with his new Lancastrian allies, Edward the lost support of the country and fled to the Netherlands. Warwick "The Kingmaker" reinstated the Lancastrian monarch during Henry's Readeption of 1470-1.

Edward IV spent his time in exile assembling an invasion fleet at Flushing and trying to woo his wayward brother back to the Yorkist cause. On March 14, 1471, Edward returned to the realm he claimed as his own, landing at Ravenspur. The Duke of Clarence promptly deserted Warwick and marched to his brother’s aid. Edward headed for London and entered the capital on April 11. Reinforced by Clarence’s troops, Edward took King Henry out of the capital and led a swelling army to face Warwick at Barnet. Edward suffered an early setback as he clashed with his one-time ally on that misty Easter morn of April 14, 1471. The Yorkist left collapsed, and the centre was slowly pushed back, but confusion caused by the obscuring fog eventually doomed Warwick's army. Warwick’s soldiers mistook the star with streams livery worn by the men of the Lancastrian Earl of Oxford for Edward’s sun with streams and loosed volleys of arrows into the approaching troops. With cries of “treason”, Oxford’s men left the field. Sensing the unease that rattled the Lancastrian ranks, Edward rallied his men and pressed the attack. Under this renewed pressure, Warwick’s army wavered and broke. The earl tried to flee the battlefield, but Yorkist soldiers pulled him from his saddle and despatched him with a knife thrust through an eye. Edward arrived on the scene too late to save Warwick from such an ignoble fate.

On May 4, Edward once more led his troops into battle, this time against Queen Margaret’s army at Tewkesbury. Margaret and her son, Prince Edward, had landed at Weymouth with a small force the same day of Edward’s victory over Warwick at Barnet. Under the leadership of the Duke of Somerset, the Lancastrian force moved toward Wales to try to join forces with Jasper Tudor. Wishing to bring Margaret’s army to battle before it crossed the Severn, Edward gave chase. He caught up with Somerset and Margaret at Tewkesbury. Though his army was slightly outnumbered, the Yorkist king once again triumphed over the Lancastrians. Margaret's son, Prince Edward, was captured and slain. Some Lancastrian fugitives, including the Duke of Somerset, tried to seek sanctuary in Tewkesbury Abbey. Dispute surrounds the exact details regarding what happened inside. Edward either granted pardons to those sheltering within the abbey walls, and then reneged on his promise, or he and his men entered the building with swords drawn. Either way, those captives that survived the slaughter were subsequently executed.

With the exception of quickly quelled Kentish and northern revolts, Edward’s triumph at Tewkesbury signalled the end of Lancastrian opposition to his reign. Margaret was captured and brought before Edward on May 12. She remained his prisoner until ransomed by King Louis XI of France. After making his formal entry into London on the 21st, Edward arranged the clandestine murder of poor King Henry VI. Edward’s brother Richard, Duke of Gloucester, entered the Tower that evening. By the next morning, Henry, the potential focus of future Lancastrian resistance to Yorkist rule, was dead.

Following his final victory, Edward IV reigned over a relatively stable, peaceful, and prosperous kingdom. Once the Yorkist usurper secured his throne, he showed a ravenous appetite for the opulence of royalty and eventually became rather overweight. As king, he ordered the construction of several grand churches. He was also known as a patron of the arts. A lover of luxury and keenly aware of the political power of a majestic presence, one of Edward’s first acts a few months after his return to the throne was the expenditure of large sums of money on a magnificent new wardrobe. The other crowned heads of Europe all recognized him as legitimate King of England. His brief war with France in 1475 ended when Louis XI agreed to pay Edward an annual subsidy. By 1478 Edward had paid off the debts amassed by his one-time enemies. Unlike many of England’s medieval kings, he died solvent. He introduced several innovations to the machinery of government that the Tudors later adopted and developed. However, his second reign was not without its troubles. Woodville influence over his court caused tension between Edward and the nobility. In 1478, Edward’s in-laws manipulated him into eliminating his disgruntled brother George, the Duke of Clarence. Edward died on April 9, 1483.

Edward of York had a remarkable military career. He personally commanded and fought in five separate battles, and never lost a single one. As a leader of armed men, he often displayed daring and dash. As leader of the Yorkist cause, he exhibited a contradictory mixture of magnanimity and ruthlessness. As king, Edward IV worked to elevate the crown above the nobility and did much to restore a sound government. Unfortunately, his rash marriage bore bitter fruit, sowing the seeds of disaster for his young sons. Edwards’s death in 1483 left a minor as heir. The Duke of Gloucester was named protector of the princes Edward and Richard. Gloucester eventually had his nephews declared bastards and had himself proclaimed King Richard III. His nephews may have been murdered in the Tower, perhaps under Richard’s direct order. Faced with an invasion force led by Henry Tudor, and betrayed by his barons, Richard fell in battle at Bosworth Field. His death marked the end of the Yorkist dynasty and the ascendancy of the Tudors.

The Poleaxe of Edward IV

Being a fierce fighter as well as a skilled commander, Edward was said to be especially proficient with that uniquely knightly pole arm, the poleaxe. A magnificently decorated example currently residing in the Musee de l’Armee in Paris, France, has been ascribed to that most aristocratic of medieval monarchs. The connection to Edward IV is dubious, but this beautiful weapon certainly belonged to some extremely wealthy French, Dutch, or English nobleman of the late fifteenth century. Any consummate warrior and lover of luxury such as Edward of York would certainly have appreciated how the weapon’s combination of fine fighting qualities and rich ornamentation.

Having more reach than a sword, the poleaxe was often the preferred weapon when men of rank fought on foot. Topped by a spike, the axe head was backed by either a hammer or a quadrilateral beak. Mounted on a haft about six feet long and wielded in both hands, the poleaxe could cut, bludgeon, and stab. Even though the example attributed to Edward’s ownership sports fine decorative elements, it still exhibits all the qualities of a functional weapon. A pronged hammer backs a slightly curved axe blade. A wickedly sharp, stout spike thrusts out of the hexagonal central socket. A sturdy rondel acts as a hand-guard.

The lordly embellishments of the Edward IV poleaxe set it apart from simpler period examples. It is profusely decorated with chiselled gilt bronze. The iron components emerge from the throats of stylized beasts. The socket is further decorated with engraved foliage, a knot of flowers, and a cluster of fiery clouds. The rondel takes the form of a full-blown heraldic rose. The assumption that this weapon once belonged to Edward IV arose from the fact that it exhibits the symbols of rose and flame, but such ornamentation was common in the fifteenth century. Still, this imagery does echo the white rose en soliel device Edward used on his banner and badge, so it may just be a weapon once wielded by that accomplished Yorkist warrior.

Sources

Arms and Armour from the 9th to the 17th Century by Paul Martin

Arms and Armour of the Western World by Bruno Thomas

Battle of Tewkesbury 4th May 1471 by P.W. Hammond, H.G. Shearring, and G. Wheeler

Battles in Britain and Their Political Background:1066-1746 by William Seymour

The Book of the Medieval Knight by Stephen Turnbull

Campaign 66: Bosworth 1485: Last Charge of the Plantagenets by Christopher Gravett

Campaign 120: Towton 1461: England's Bloodiest Battle by Christopher Gravett

Campaign 131: Tewkesbury 1471: The Last Yorkist Victory by Christopher Gravett

Men-at-Arms 145: The Wars of the Roses by Terence Wise

The Military Campaigns of the Wars of the Roses by Philip A. Haigh

Who's Who in Late Medieval England by Michael Hicks

[ancestorsalive]

Margery Jourdemayne was born sometime before 1415. Where she was born, her maiden name, and who her parents or family were is unknown, as is her early life; she only starts to appear in records after her marriage to William Jourdemayne. He came from a well to do family of yeoman and they lived in Acton. What her own education was is unknown, but from the 1430s on, she spent a lot of time in the company of different scholars and respected clerics; considering her lowly status, this is most unusual. She was said to make potions and predict the future and counted the Duchess of Gloucester and Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset, among her clients. In 1430, Margery had been one of seven women imprisoned for a time for an unspecified offence concerning sorcery; it is possible she was making herbal remedies for the sick. She was released, however, without charge for good behaviour and on the condition that she no longer practice witchcraft.

Margery was most known among the ladies of the court for providing spells, love potions and concoctions for bringing about a pregnancy or ending one. In 1441, Margery got caught up in the trial of Eleanor Cobham when it was mentioned that Eleanor had called upon Margery for a spell to conceive. She was also accused of making a wax figure of King Henry VI in order to cause him harm. The Archbishop of Canterbury presided over a church court, and she was found guilty of treason and sentenced to be burned at the stake at Smithfield. The sentence was carried out on October 27, 1441.

Sources:

Royal Witches: From Joan of Navarre to Elizabeth Woodville, Gemma Hollman.

https://tonyriches.blogspot.com/2019/10/halloween-special-margery-jourdemayne.html

[https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmedhist.2004.08.001](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmedhist.2004.08.001?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3WmGTepD2q2UyDrwh3tINFeuZ6nKH6R-NIJ1pp__X4MR864nMjbNUmG8M_aem_Adn0cW5YCcBX_JoSACoPjkL-1VxWDdlKtjkc97t7RR-2wU57Y85pdHi-SP9NEvaCbmxXiPh_7Qe2mtgK3ZyQUf9Z)